NYCFC focusing on Fire, not player's demand, fan reaction

Their leading goal scorer wants out of town and their goalkeeper is public enemy No. 1 after a costly gaffe during the World Cup played a key role in the United States losing to Belgium in the round of 16.

But New York City FC is still relying on Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Matt Freese for big contributions Saturday night when the Chicago Fire invade Yankee Stadium.

Fernandez Mercau scored his 11th goal on a penalty kick Wednesday night during a 2-1 win at Columbus that got NYCFC (6-6-4, 22 points) to .500. It came one day after reports that the club rejected an $18 million offer for his services, leading to his demand that the team transfer him.

"You see a player that is performing for and with his team with a lot of energy," head coach Pascal Jansen said of Fernandez Mercau. "That's what he's supposed to do."

Freese, whose whiffed clearing attempt led to a third goal for Belgium in a 4-1 win on July 6, was booed on every touch Wednesday. Despite the jeers, he made three saves in the team's first fixture after the World Cup break.

Meanwhile, Chicago (8-5-2, 26 points) sits third in the East table despite a 3-2 loss Wednesday night at Inter Miami. The result snapped the Fire's three-match winning streak.

Chicago opted not to stand pat during the summer transfer window, adding Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona on a two-year deal. The 37-year-old Lewandowski, the captain of Poland's national team, started at Miami and played 63 minutes.

"After just two days with my new team, I didn't expect everything to work perfectly in my first game," Lewandowski said.

Lewandowski's signing led to the departure of star striker Hugo Cuypers. The Fire sold him to LIGA MX's Monterrey for a reported $7.5 million after he scored 40 goals in 75 league matches over the past 2 1/2 seasons. Cuypers scored 13 goals in 11 matches this season, tying Dallas' Petar Musa for the league lead.

NYCFC is 3-0-2 in its last five matches against Chicago.

--Field Level Media